The trickle effect of ambidexterity: How leader ambidexterity and LMX shape teacher behavioural heterogeneity and radical innovation in schools

Abstract

This study examines whether leader ambidexterity is associated with behavioural heterogeneity among teachers and whether leader–member exchange (LMX) moderates this relationship. Drawing on a behavioural trickle framework, we analyse data from 2890 teachers nested within 222 public schools in Türkiye by estimating a Bayesian mixed-effects location–scale model (MELSM) to examine both average levels and within-organization variability in teacher ambidexterity. Results indicate that leader ambidexterity is positively associated with greater teacher behavioural heterogeneity. LMX is also positively associated with heterogeneity and significantly strengthens the relationship between leader ambidexterity and behavioural variability among teachers. Furthermore, greater behavioural heterogeneity is associated with higher levels of radical innovation, suggesting that embracing variance within schools is a crucial lever for overcoming bureaucratic inertia.